Combating Tenant Blacklisting Based on Housing Court Records

By Esme Caramello & Nora Mahlberg
The Clearinghouse Community, part of the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law

Having a housing court “record”—a publicly accessible history of having sued or been sued by a landlord—can be a serious impediment to finding housing. Advocates across the country have used various strategies to mitigate the harm of public access to housing court records, and recent developments can inspire and guide advocates in fixing this persistent problem. Strategies include regulating the availability, content, and use of housing court records.

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LCBH provides free, comprehensive legal representation so that renters have a trusted advocate in court. Combined with education, outreach, supportive services and policy initiatives, our programs holistically address both the short-term housing crisis and underlying causes, so that more families can move from a path leading to homelessness to one of safe and stable housing.